Once in a while, we end up giving speeches with quotes. But do you know if you’re using those quotes right? Below are tips on how you can make sure you get the maximum benefits of using quotes in your presentation:

1. Do your research right by getting the phrase right, making sure the source you got it from is reliable, and that you use the quote in the right context.

2. Quote people your audience knows. Do this by quoting a well-known expert in the field, or the speaker before you at the event you’re at, or quote yourself jokingly. If you plan to quote someone who is not that well-known, introduce the speaker and establish their credibility first.

3. Use your own words to open and close; quote in the middle. Do this by opening your speech with a quote but do this sparingly; avoid closing your speech with a quote; and remember that quotations work best in the body of your speech.

4. Draw attention to the quote through your delivery.

5. Use trustworthy resources.

6. Be selective.

To find out more about the importance of knowing how to properly use quotes in your presentation, please head to:

When tasked to do a presentation, more often than not, we tend to go straight to our laptops, open PowerPoint and start typing what we want to present. Now, before you do that, before you go ahead and make that presentation think about these 9 things first. Doing so will help you come up with a better presentation in a more efficient and effective manner:

1. Are you spending more time on slide designing and less on thinking about what you have to say?

2. Your success depends on how well you think and not how well you speak.

3. Have a goal for every speech/presentation.

4. Respect your audience’s time.

5. Have a clear structure for your talk.

6. Bear in mind that people have a limited attention span.

7. Talk about what people care and they will give you their attention.

8. Ask yourself: ‘Why is the audience watching this?’

9. Before accepting to speak at an event or conference, ask three questions: a) What does the organiser want from you? b) What does the audience want from you? and c) What are you capable of delivering?

You may find yourself getting better and better at becoming a presenter or a speaker. You’ve rehearsed your lines well and you were able to give good presentations or speeches every single time. But how about impromptu speeches? What if you’re in a meeting or gathering and you were suddenly asked to give a short speech? How would you deal with it? How do you make sure that you won’t fumble and make it look like you do this everyday for a living?

Step One: Start your remarks with, “First of all, I’d like to say…” This statement will help you gather your thoughts. If you were asked a question that you needed to answer, then you could rephrase it by saying: “First of all, I’d like to acknowledge the challenge we are facing…”

Step Two: Follow it with “Next…” So after stating your first thought, say a relevant piece information that supports your previous statement like an important statistic, evidence or example. You can tell a story too.

Step Three: Then lastly you say “And finally…” where you briefly summarize what you have said and add your final thought.

Below are the 3 best ways TED speakers usually start their presentation. Since the first 20 seconds of any talk or presentation is crucial in catching the attention of your audience, make sure that you get to engage them immediately before they get distracted by their own thoughts and other stimuli.

Opening #1: The Personal Story – make sure it’s personal, relevant to the message you want to convey and that it starts in the middle to make them think about the who, what, where, whey, why, or how of your story.

Opening #2: The Powerful Question – use how or why questions.

Opening #3: The Shocking Statement – use a statement that will trigger a range of audience emotions.

My favorite presentation guru and PowerPoint MVP, Ellen Finkelstein, has just announced the schedule for the 3rd Annual Outstanding Presentations Workshop and I’m excited! It will run weekly on Tuesdays, from September 18 through November 13 (with no session on Tuesday, October 9). All sessions start at 11am Pacific Time, 2pm Eastern Time.

Those who would like to join (and you should!), when you sign up, you will get a link to the full schedule, which has a link for the time anywhere in the world.

The cost is very minimal, only $7, which is a super great value considering how expensive other similar workshops can be. And what’s great about it is that some of the world’s top presentation experts will be the ones to conduct the sessions. Here are their schedules:

I also interviewed Ellen about this by asking her a few questions that came to mind. Let me share with you what she said:

What is the main purpose of this workshop?The main purpose of this workshop is to give you the knowledge you need to create outstanding presentations. The expert presenters will cover many of the topics that presenters deal with each time they present, such as working with themes, creating charts, visualizing concepts, designing graphics, and more.

What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the 8 sessions? I hope to give presenters the tools they need to present effectively and avoid Death by PowerPoint. I also want them to hear the advice and tips of some of the top presentation experts in the world.

Why is the workshop very affordable? We’ve been able to attract a large number of attendees in the last 2 years. Last year over 3,000 people registered from 98 countries. A small amount from each person will be enough to sustain this effort.

Can people join from any part of the world? Yes! As I mentioned, we had people from 98 countries last year. All of the sessions are recorded and will be available for 2 months after the live session. Each week, after the webinar, everyone will get an email with a link to the recording. This allows people in all time zones to get the great value of these sessions.

How can we pay? What if I have no PayPal? You don’t need a PayPal account. You can pay with a credit card. After going to www.outstandingpresentationsworkshop.com, click the Join Us button and then look for the link that says, “Don’t have a PayPal account?” We look forward to having you join us!